John Cutliffe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Cutliffe
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John in 2018
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John Barry Cutliffe
February 8, 1962 Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland
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| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse(s) | Laura Marshall |
| Children | Kevin Cutliffe (2002-present) Lorcan Marshall-Cutliffe (2017-Present) |
| Parent(s) | Kevin Cutliffe (father) Alish Cutliffe (mother) |
John Cutliffe is a very talented Irish musician. He comes from Buncrana, a town in County Donegal, Ireland. John was born on February 8, 1962. He is well-known for writing songs, producing music, and playing many different instruments. John has worked in big music cities like London and Nashville, as well as in his home country, Ireland.
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John's Early Life and Music
John Cutliffe grew up in Buncrana, Ireland. His parents are Kevin and Ailish Cutliffe. He went to Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana, a school right in his hometown. John loved music from a very young age. He was still in school when he joined his first music groups. One of these groups was called Shandrum. He played with his cousin, Paul Rodden, in this band. Paul later became a long-time music partner for John.
Playing in Music Groups
John has played many different kinds of music. He has performed traditional Irish music and bluegrass music. You could often find him playing in pubs across the Irish countryside. Over the years, he has also played with pop and rock bands.
The Pyros and Other Projects
In London, John's Irish bluegrass band, The Pyros, worked with Frank Tovey. Frank Tovey was also known by his stage name, Fad Gadget. They recorded music albums together for a company called Mute Records.
John helped start The Pyros in Buncrana. This group became quite popular in the North West of Ireland. Different musicians played in the band over time. These included Kevin Doherty from the band Four Men and a Dog. Ciaran Tourish from the famous band Altan also played with them. During this time, John played with other well-known musicians. Some of these were Altan, Gerry O Connor, and Ted Hawkins. He also played with Henry McCullough, who was a guitarist for the band Wings.
Music Websites and Photography
John owns and edits a website called JigTime. This website shares interesting stories about Irish and American roots music. He also worked as a Tour Manager for the Irish traditional band Altan when they toured in the U.S.
John is also a very good photographer. His photos have been shown on many different websites. You can see his pictures on Rosanne Cash's site and the MerleFest site. His photos have also been used on album covers in Ireland and Nashville.
Hands Across The Water Project
In 2005, John Cutliffe worked with Andrea Zonn. They produced a music CD together called Hands Across The Water. This album was a very special project. It brought together Celtic (Irish) and American artists. The main goal was to help children who had lost their parents in the South East Asian tsunami.
The album had 16 songs. More than 100 musicians recorded music for it. They recorded in 30 different studios all around the world. Famous artists like John Prine, Paul Brady, and Jackson Browne were on the album. Vince Gill also joined in. They all worked together on new and remixed songs. The album was released by Compass Records in Nashville.
Shyma Smiled For Me
In October 2014, John teamed up with another musician from Donegal, Rory Gallagher. They worked on a song called "Shyma Smiled For Me". The song was released on December 5, 2014. All the money raised from the song went to help children's charities in Gaza.
The idea for this charity song came from the producer and co-writer. They had visited children who were hurt in the conflict in Gaza. These children were in hospitals in Jerusalem. John and Rory wrote the song together. Many well-known Irish and UK artists sang on it. A choir of children from Jerusalem also took part. John's own son, Kevin, was also featured in the song.
Besides John himself, the artists included Rory Gallagher, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, and Liam O Maonlai. Others were Donogh Hennessy, Honor Heffernan, Martin Tourish, and the Wee Glee Singers. The Jerusalem Children’s Choir also sang. Brian Mullan, Laurence Doherty, Clare Lindley, Claire McDaid, and Sophia Brock were also involved. Kevin and Caroline Cutliffe also helped. The song was briefly popular on the Irish download charts in 2015.
John continues to write and produce music today. He also writes for different websites and publications.
Bands John Has Played With
- The Pyros, AKA The Pyrotechnicos - bass, guitars
- Pluto - bass
- Fiveskin - bass
- Shandrum - guitar
- Frank Tovey and the Pyros- bass, guitar
- The Other Brothers - bass, guitar
- Beware of the Dog - guitar
- The Barry McGuigan Band - bass guitar
- The Whiskey Priests - bass
- The Bordercollies - bass, guitar
- No River City - bass
Discography
- Grand Union with Frank Tovey and the Pyros (musician, bass and guitars) (1991)
- Worried Men In Second Hand Suits with Frank Tovey and the Pyros (musician, bass and guitars) (1992)
- Travelling Home - Rory Mcleod (Musician, bass) (1991)
- Beware of the Dog - Beware of the Dog (musician, guitar, vocals, songwriter)
- Barr Trá - Mary Custy and Quentin Cooper (inside cover photograph)
- New Kid in Town - Ryan Holladay (cover photography)
- Hands Across The Water (2005) (Producer, photography)
- Down the Line - Ciaran Tourish (cover photography, liner notes)
- Shyma Smiled for Me (2015) (Producer, songwriter, arranger)
- Five (2016) (Producer, composer)
